VOC Port awarded "Port of the Year – 2017" for excellence in Coastal Shipping

TUTICORIN: V.O.Chidambaranar Port, Tuticorin has clinched the ‘Port of the Year – 2017’ award in the ‘Public Sector’ category for excellence in Coastal Shipping in the event organized by ‘India Seatrade’ at Kochi on 22.09.2017.

On behalf of ther Port, U.Rajendran, Traffic Manager, received the award from Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha P. J. Kurien.

V.O. Chidambaranar Port has been adjudged as the ‘Port of the Year 2017’ for infrastructure, Port Terminal related tariff, Turnaround time, Handling charges, Facilities & services and Special initiatives taken to Promote Coastal cargo by the jury of Industry Experts chaired by former Shipping Secretary K. Mohandas. .

V.O.Chidambaranar Port has been the frontrunner among the Major Ports in promotion of Coastal Shipping. The total volume of Coastal cargo handled during the last financial year 2016-17 was 74.91 Lakh Tonnes. Coastal Shipping through V.O. Chidambaranar Port has witnessed a CAGR of 4.14 per cent over the period of last three years.

Out of the Total traffic of 386.40 Lakh Tonnes handled by the Port during the last financial year, Coastal cargo constitutes 19.38 per cent. The number of calls made by coastal vessels has also increased from 335 during the year 2015-16 to 376 during the year 2016-17. Moreover, in terms of containers, V.O. Chidambaranar Port has handled 1,09,606 TEUs of Coastal Containers during the last financial year.

V.O. Chidambaranar Port is serving 25 coastal cargo destinations and the major ones include Thermal Coal from Visakhapatnam and Paradip, Containers carrying raw cotton from Mundra and cashew from Cochin, Clinkers from Haldia, Kakinada & Porbandar, furnace oil from Kandla and Haldia, salt from Kandla, Sulphuric Acid to Visakhapatnam, Kandla, Paradip & New Mangalore and Phosphoric Acid to Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Paradip & New Mangalore constitute a major share in Coastal cargoes.

In order to realize the Ministry of Shipping’s vision of increasing the share of coastal / IWT mode of cargoes from 7 to 10 per cent by 2019-20 and to provide impetus to regional maritime trade, V.O. Chidambaranar Port has taken proactive measures to promote coastal shipping by exclusively earmarking VOC –I Berth with LOA 168m and Draft 9.3 m, Eastern Arm with LOA 100m and draft 7.5 for handling of Coastal cargoes.

Priority berthing is also provided for the vessels intended for handling Coastal cargoes. Concession of 40 per cent in Cargo related and vessel related charges except RoRo (For RoRo, the concession offered is 80%) has been extended by the Port for promotion of coastal trade.